More Oj Being Served In Nation's Schools Increase Is Despite Fewer Systems Offering Juice

July 21, 1986|By Jerry Jackson of The Sentinel Staff

Fewer public school systems are serving orange juice nationwide, but the volume of orange juice served in schools still increased in the past year, according to a survey prepared for the Florida Department of Citrus.

Of the 15,243 school systems in the nation, 9,512 -- or 62 percent -- offered orange juice to students in the 12-month period from March 1985 through February 1986. The number offering orange juice was down sharply from 71 percent a year earlier, and was the lowest level since 1979, according to the survey by Datafax Co.

Although fewer school systems offered OJ during lunch or in vending machines last year, the total volume of orange juice served in schools increased to 16.7 million gallons from 16.1 million gallons.

One reason more orange juice was served, despite fewer school systems serving juice, was that the decline in the number of school systems offering OJ was traced to smaller systems, said Poonam Mittal, market research coordinator for the Citrus Department.

The survey also showed that 40 percent of the school systems had drink vending machines last year, up 7 percent from a year earlier, and about 13 percent of the machines offered orange juice.